Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
Picked up this multi-channel amp used a little over a year ago, paid $300 for it. Works great and was a big upgrade over my two reciever's amplifier sections (Marantz SR7000 and Onkyo 805). I can perceive no audible oddities with this amp, it just does it's job like any other quality solid-state amplifier should.

My brother recently picked up a couple Emotiva amps, one a 3-channel 200 watt per channel beast, the other a 7-channel monster (he's only running 4 channels with it). The Emotivas sounded exactly the same as the AM-9080. We tried them all with his Energy C-3s, my Paradigm Monitor series speakers and his new Salk Sound Song Towers. All amps performed much better than our receivers. The speakers all sounded sperior except for the Song Towers which sounds inferior to the much lower priced Canadian speakers. The Song Towers exhibited a harsh and fatiguing upper-midrange sound through all three amps and receivers. By the way, we tried them, the Song Towers, in two different rooms to no avail. Sadly, they just didn't live up to their hype. The Paradigms and Energys, on the other hand, did sound much better on the stand-alone amps versus the receivers (much better) We were both stunned however that the Song Towers sounded poorly through all amp sources (AM-9080, Emotiva, Onkyo 805, Pioneer Elite), especially considering all the rave reviews on them.

The AM-9080 is not without fault, however. I really dislike the proprietary method for remote turn on, Digi Link II or watever it's called. I would prefer the typical 12-volt remote turn like the Emotivas. Also, the AM-9080 does not have balanced inputs. When my brother upgraded his system he also purchased a Marantz AV8003. With the AM-9080 he would be forced to use typical RCA connections, some might consider that a disadvantage. For me, it was irrelevant as my Onkyo 805 performs processing duties and outputs via RCAs to the AM-9080. If i ever upgrade to a stand-alone preamp having the balanced inputs would be nice. One last quibble, the silver face plate is not as theater-room friendly as a black face plate. But no biggie there.

If you can find a used AM-9080 for as cheap as I did jump on it. It is a quality unit that sounds great, is stable with 4-ohm loads, has good fit and finish and has lots of headroom power with no audible distortion at high playback levels.

Price Paid:  $550.00 from Some Audio Boutique

Summary:
As Julian Hirsch called this amp during his review... "a stone cold bargain".. This puppy drives my Klipsch KG 5.5's to way over 100 dB with NO problems. NO CLIPPING, NO DISTORTION, NO FUSS NO MUSS.. Jazz, Heavy Metal, Classical, Movies...Attack and decay are 100% natural. This amp uses about 70 pounds of REAL torroidal amplifier not cheesy mosfets (they belong in your dashboard, not your listening room). This amp opens up the soundstage like nothing else in it's class or a few classes higher. Do yourself a favor. Look around for one. I got mine for less than 1/2 retail from an audio boutique in NH that catered to the Macintosh & Rotel crowd. Poor guys.. spending all that $$$ on equipment and they could have spent it on CD's, DVD's, PIZZA and BEER.......much more worthwhile. I'll put this amp up against ANYTHING in the Sub $3,000 range. Rated at 100 Watts.. hah what a sleeper... It is fully capable of 1 KILOWATT excusrsions. Led Zeppelin never sounded so good. So get one of these, hook the pre-outs of your cheesy receiver to this amp and you will finally hear what you are missing. About the only place you'll find one of these is eBay or Audiogon right now... but well worth the hunt. Bass response is so excellent I do not have or ever felt I needed a Sub-woofer. This amp will shake my entire brick house.

I am driving Klipsch KG 5.5's (Fronts) Klipsch KV 3 (Center) BA A40 rears. HK AVR320 is being used as Pre-Amp / Processor (decent, but the amplifier is week and thin.. therefore the AM 9080)

Strengths:
POWER POWER AND MORE POWER...Nice looking...No fancy flashing lights or LED's to un-impress your friends. Clean spacious sound totally free of coloration, clipping or distortion up to volumes well beyond ear-bleed. Super fast attack, great detail. Absolute value leader. Lot's of $$$ leftover for Pizza, Beer, CD's & DVD's. Will drive any speaker with ease.

Weaknesses:
aaaahhhhhhhhhh... none... not a boutique brand.....can't name drop marques like "Rotel" at Cocktail parties..

Similar Products Used:
HK AVR-320, Some other supposedly High End 5 cannel AMP the 9080 blew into the weeds. It's such a dim and forgetable memory I do not even remember what it was.

clskinsfan

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00 from online

Summary:
Let me start by saying this is my second power amp but my first multi channel amp. I have a Denon 3805 with Polk LSI 9's and 7's and thought the reciever had a hard time driving these speakers. I purchased a Pioneer 2 Channel amp to drive the LSI9's and that was better. Of course the bug hit and I wanted more for movie listening. So I bought this unit used. All I can say is unbelievable! This thing just opened up my soundstage and Theater sound is amazing. The really big suprise is music. This thing just fits my LSI's perfect. Listened to some older Guns and Roses and it was like listening to it for the first time. I cant believe the difference. And I am just using the 3805 as a Pre. I am now using the Pioneer amp to drive my 7.1 rear surrounds. Maybe its time for a real pre. Dont know if the wife can take it. You should be able to pick one of these up used for under $400. If you can find one buy it you will not be disappointed.

Strengths:
Huge power. Great soundstage. Price

Weaknesses:
None

Similar Products Used:
Pioneer Elite 2 Channel amp

OLDTIMER

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Price Paid:  $200.00 from CLASSIFIED AD

Summary:
FIRST OF ALL, I STOLE THIS AT THE PRICE. IT IS WITHOUT A DOUBT THE BEST DEAL I HAVE HAD.I ALSO GOT THE PREAMP. I THINK THEY SHOULD BE TOGETHER. I LOVE THE 70 LBS. IT'S A TANK AND IT'S NOT LIKE YOU CARRY IT AROUND. THE BUILD QUALITY IS SUPERB. INTERNALLY IT'S LAYOUT IS VERY NICE. NOTHING WAS SKIMPT ON. ALL QUALITY THROUGHOUT. IT IS VERY QUIET WITH NO AUDIBLE DISTORTION. IT IS WELL MATCHED FOR ANY KIND OF SPEAKER AND MY ELECTROSTATICS ARE VERY DEMANDING. THIS AMP IS FAST. IT ATTACTS LIKE A TIGER AND THEN IT'S GONE. I USED TO ONLY USE TUBES WITH MY ELECTROSTATICS, BUT THIS AMP HAS VERY NICE LAID BACK QUALITIES, BUT IT'S ALL HEART WHEN CALLED UPON. I JUST RECENTLY USED IT AS A SURROUND AMP DRIVING 5 FOSGATE 62.0'S AND AN M+K SPL 1000 SUB. IT PERFORMED FLAWLESSLY ALTHOUGH I WOULD HAVE LIKED A LITTLE MORE BRIGHTNESS, BUT I BLAME THE FOSGATES FOR THAT. THEY ARE VERY FLAT, BUT REPRODUCE VOICE'S AS ACCURATELY AS ANY SPEAKER I HAVE HEARD. SEEMS TO ME THAT I ALWAYS HAVE HAD TROUBLE HEARING THE DIALOG ON MOVIE SOUNDTRACKS UNTIL THE FOSGATES. I HAVE HOOKED UP MANY DIFFERENT SPEAKERS TO THIS AMP AND THEY ALL SOUNDED GREAT. THIS AMP IS A WINNER IN MY BOOK AND I CAN'T THINK OF A THING I DON'T LIKE ABOUT IT. I LOVE TO SEE SHERWOOD MAKING A COMEBACK AND IF THEY CONTINUE PUTTING OUT EQUIPMENT LIKE THIS, ESPECIALLY AT THE PRICE, THEY ARE WELL ON THEIR WAY. THIS THINGS WORTH 10 TIMES WHAT I PAID AND I WOULD PUT IT UP AGAINST JUST ABOUT ANYTHING IN THE $3000 TO $5000 RANGE. AT THESE PRICES IT IS SIMPLY A STEAL.

Strengths:
BUILD QUALITY, INTERIOR LAYOUT AND MOST OF ALL, GREAT SOUND.

Weaknesses:
NONE

Similar Products Used:
KRELL, HARMON KARDON,KENWOOD, PIONEER CARVER, CLASSE',EAGLE

Price Paid:  $450.00

Summary:
Sounds great!! Much improvement over my HK AVR-310 amp.